Councillor Keefe Wants Security Cameras Installed at Stadium

As president of the Revere Pop Warner organization, Patrick Keefe spends many hours at Harry Della Russo Stadium.

Keefe wondered why there were no security cameras at the stadium, a state-of-the-art facility that also features an outdoor track, tennis and basketball courts.

Keefe, who is the Ward 6 city councillor, proposed a motion at Monday’s City Council meeting that Mayor Brian Arrigo provide an update on the installation of security cameras at the stadium.

“Harry Della Russo is obviously a heavily used public facility – it’s a beautiful facility and a very large investment that the city made and it’s one of our newer amenities and I want to keep it that way and I think security cameras will help protect that asset,” Keefe told his colleagues.

Ward 2 Councillor Ira Novoselsky said there is funding from the school and stadium bonds [to pay for the cameras], “and I am kind of disappointed that the cameras are not up yet.”

Novoselsky, who is a game official in the pressbox at Revere High School football games, said he would also like to see the public address system’s control box relocated because “everybody is banging their heads on it and it’s a dangerous situation in the press box.”

Ward 6 Councillor Charlie Patch commended Keefe for the motion, saying that he would like to add the new fields at St. Mary’s [Griswold Park] to the request for security cameras because there have been problems with youths using the dugouts at night [following the regular operating hours of the fields].

“We were promised the cameras about three to four years ago and we haven’t seen them yet,” said Patch.

Councillor-at-Large Dan Rizzo, who brought the stadium complex to Revere during his tenure as mayor, said he wholeheartedly agreed with the request for security cameras at the stadium.

“These cameras were part of the overall implementation of the stadium,” said Rizzo. “Most of us might remember that we received a $2.72 million grant and the city only had to bond $5.5 million in order to complete that project which is a tremendous asset to the city. We always believed that the cameras were going to play a vital role in maintaining the security of what happens there.”

Rizzo also agreed with Patch’s suggestion that security cameras should also be installed at Griswold Park as well.

“There is funding available and hopefully that can happen sooner than later,” said Rizzo.

Targeting scrap metal trucks

Keefe also received the support of the Council for his motion that the Mayor request the Traffic Commission establish restrictions for vehicles being used to hold scrap metal and garbage overnight on city streets.

Ward 3 Councillor Arthur Guinasso suggested that the city’s building inspector also be involved in the notification and enforcement policy against those indivudals who park their scrap metals vehicles on city streets.

Keefe feels the vehicles are creating unsightly conditions on Revere streets in his ward and he has received complaints from his constituents.